


A Very Companion Christmas

by insominia



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas, Drinking, Family, Post-Blind Betrayal, Religion, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 05:34:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17135945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insominia/pseuds/insominia
Summary: It's Danse's first Christmas beyond the Brotherhood, it's Nora's first Christmas in the Commonwealth and she's trying.Or: The Paladin Danse Christmas redemption fic nobody asked for





	A Very Companion Christmas

Between them, the motley group gathered around the table had been responsible for the liberation of the Commonwealth from the threat of the Institute. Not to mention the things they'd survived beyond that; Deathclaws, Super Mutant Behemoths, Mirelurk Queens and that one guy who thought Hancock was feral and wouldn't be told otherwise.

There was really no reason, therefore, for them to be staring at the hat in the centre of the table with such caution, trepidation, and even horror.

"What's a secret...Santa...again?" Hancock rasped even though Nora had explained it twice, maybe three times, he probably should have stayed sober for this conversation.

Piper elbowed him harshly in the ribs and hissed, "you know, Santa! The guy who'd come once a year and kill all the bad children? Or take them away to work as slave labourers, something like that..."

" _Dammit, Piper_!" Nora snapped from the table, "How many times? _Stop. Listening. To. Moe_."

"It's pretty simple," Valentine said, stepping forward before the situation escalated further, "pick a name from the hat, get them a gift, ten cap limit."

Nora let out a long and ragged breath, "thanks Nick," she mumbled, wondering how everyone could have so much trouble grasping such a simple concept. Nick beamed back at her, the other Nick Valentine's memories had gotten him through many a forgotten Christmas tradition and it seemed would continue to do so.

Reaching into the hat, Hanock fished around and pulled out a small slip of paper. He frowned at it for a moment before saying, "Hey Mac, what d'you want for Christmas?"

"Fuck's sake, Hancock!" Nora roared, "it's a secret Santa!"

 

* * *

 

 

Paladin Danse - _former_ Paladin Danse, had retreated into the bathroom so he didn't have to listen to _another_ festive conversation. The shower was just an excuse to get out of the room and everyone knew it. Not even Danse was fastidious enough to shower an hour after he'd showered.

The water was hot, hotter than it needed to be, but it was cathartic, cleansing almost. It helped him to think, or rather not think. He was not thinking about the Prydwen. He was not thinking about how Christmas, hardly a strict observance of the Brotherhood, still managed to bring them all closer together, increasing feelings of comradery and family. He definitely wasn't thinking about the Christmas before, when it had just been him, Rhys and Haylen holed up in the Cambridge police station. And Keane, of course. Keane was still alive.

Haylen had attempted to barter with a trader for some decent brahmin but had returned empty-handed. Rhys had slung a lesser used hunting rifle over his shoulder and headed out into the wasteland; he hadn't told Danse, Danse would never have let him go. But he wasn't gone long and when he came back he brought with him a haunch of radstag. It wasn't traditional Christmas fare but it was fresh and after Haylen boiled up some tatos and carrots it had served far better than the ration packs they were used to.

They hadn't managed presents, not in the traditional sense. But Danse had improved on Rhys' rifle, Keane had taken on dinner duty for the week - the man was an excellent cook, Haylen had found some old pre-war movies in a crate and Rhys had scavenged some beer. They had retired to one of the more fortified rooms, drank and watched silent movies, trying to figure out what on earth was going on. It had been...nice.

And now he was nothing. He turned the water off sharply and started drying himself with unnecessary aggression. He knew Nora was trying her best...they all were really...his hand hovered over the doorknob. Surely they were finished by now?

Cait, Piper, and Nora were still sitting where they had been on the sofas, only Hancock had moved, having slipped onto the floor, probably because of the jet rather than for comfort.

"...then we sort of say what we're all thankful for," the ghoul was saying.

From her seat, Nora gave a sound somewhere between a pained groan and a laugh, "that's Thanksgiving Hancock, not Christmas."

Hancock shrugged, "hey whatever sister, most of Goodneighbour's two hundred years old, you tend to forget the details after a while, you dig?"

"What about Diamond City?" Piper offered, "they stick some lights up and the chapel usually has something on-"

"Yeah if you like that watered down shite," Cait cut her off, scowling.

Nora looked as though she might say something, but she caught sight of Danse and her face lit up, "hey Danse, I was just thinking..."

But Danse didn't stop to listen, stepping back into the bathroom and swinging the door shut with a loud slam. Nora's words trailed off and she gave a small sigh, "give him time, sister," Hancock said, patting her knee reassuringly, "it's a good thing you're doing." 

 

* * *

 

 

"I gotta tell you, Nick," Nora called, dragging the dead super mutant off the counter, "when I used to say Christmas shopping would be the death of me, this wasn't what I had in mind."

From the other side of the counter, Valentine chuckled, even as he wiped the remains of the mutant's hound from his leg.

Nora was fiddling with the safe under the counter, "hey, you think Curie would like this?" she called, holding up a silver locket. Valentine gave it a quick appraisal and frowned.

"The ten cap limit was your idea, doll."

Nora rolled her eyes, "I mean generally, I wanna make sure you all have stuff to open on Christmas Day!" She tucked the locket into her pocket and picked up her shotgun again, "C'mon, let's head up to the kid's department I wanna get something for Shaun."

"You don't have to do this, y'know," Valentine said, several firefights later as Nora rummaged through a long-abandoned storeroom. Two hundred years and she still might find something half decent for Shaun, something overlooked by nuclear armageddon and generations of scavengers.

"Sure I do," she called back, cheerily, "if there's one thing I was big on pre-war, it was Christmas. You guys are my family now, so you gotta suffer it with me." She winked at Valentine who just smiled back at her. " _Jackpot_!" she shouted excitedly, "hey you think Shaun would like this?"

 

* * *

 

 

"What you got there, Mac?" Deacon called to MacCready who was shuffling suspiciously at the end table in the corner. MacCready jumped, having not realised anyone else was there, but before he could hide what he was doing Deacon leaned over him and snatched up the package.

It was small, small enough to fit in the palm of Deacon's hand, wrapped in several layers of tissue paper. Deacon shook it by his ear, elaborately, before handing it back, "Ah, Mac, you shouldn't have."

MacCready scoffed and rolled his eyes, but then he caught sight of Hancock readying up just outside the front door and he called out, "hey Hancock!"

Hancock waited patiently while MacCready got together a handful of tissue wrapped packages, dropping them into a small bag while clambering over the chairs to get to the front door. "Couldn't pass these along to Daisy if you're heading on home, could you?" he asked, slipping Hancock the bag, "it's..." he flushed slightly, even though he knew there was no need to, "it's for Duncan...for Christmas."

Hancock smiled, he hadn't needed an explanation or justification. He palmed the package into his pocket and patted MacCready on the back, "no problem, brother."

 

* * *

 

 

Nora found Danse in the boathouse. She wasn't surprised, it was the quietest of places at Kingsport and Danse did love his quiet. He glanced up when Nora stepped in but she hadn't interrupted him, he was just...sitting.

"Hey," she said, softly, "so Cait and I are...we're working on something, it's a surprise, but...we need to head out for a bit and everyone else is out, will you be ok?"

Danse glared at her and she flinched despite herself, "sorry," she added, hastily, "it's just-"

"Just go," he sighed and Nora nodded, unable to find the words. She'd been trying to find the words since that rainy night in the bunker before Maxon had found them. Sometimes she managed to say something that gave him pause, mostly she just stumbled through reassurances. It was all she could do, after all, she doubted there were any words that could make it better.

 

* * *

 

 

"You fucking tell anyone about this and I'll kill yer in yer sleep," Cait called, again. Nora laughed.

"Yeah, you said," she swept the last of the rubble out of Salem's church; outside Barney kept an eye out for Mirelurks, Dogmeat trailing beside him, sniffing the ground cautiously.

Looking around the church, Nora couldn't help but smile. They'd made the right choice. This place was one of the more structurally sound buildings they'd discovered, and it still looked like a church. Between Barney and his turrets, anyone who came would be well defended and they were close enough to several settlements that everyone should have somewhere to stay. TRhe thought made Nora suddenly anxious, "what if nobody comes?" she asked.

"To hell with them," Cait called back, shifting a pew into position, "it's not about anyone else, it's about you and-" she broke off suddenly, before she said something that might reveal a little too much about her, "doesn't matter," she said, quietly, "to hell with them."

 

* * *

 

 

Everyone had laid out their secret Santa presents on the table. Some of them were even wrapped, but there was no disguising the very clear and obvious fact that every gift on the table was a bottle of liquor. There was a ri[pple of movement as Nora entered and everyone shifted their weight out of amusement or discomfort, as she rolled her eyes into the back of her skull, "guys, seriously?"

 

* * *

 

Piper was staring at the ceiling, lying across a sofa, Danse beside her, lying in the opposite direction, wedging her in against the cushions. He was staring at the same ceiling, but his eyes were closed as though it were too much effort to keep them open a moment longer.

"How could one man get around the entire planet in one night?" Piper asked.

Danse gave a shrug, or would have if his shoulders had responded, "what kind of vehicle could possibly circumnavigate the globe carrying enough cargo for every child while pulled by mutated species of flying rangifer?"

"He's not real guys," Nora groaned from the floor.

"I suppose if you consider time zones, I mean, I guess you could chase the same night around the world?"

"How would you acquire permission to enter so much restricted airspace?"

"Guys? _Not_ _real_."

"But that doesn't explain how he could be in every shopping mall in the country at the same time."

"An operation of that size must have left remnants somewhere, if not of the technology then surely the blueprints. If the Brotherhood could locate this North Pole..."

Nora groaned into the floor.

 

* * *

 

 

They were woken at an ungodly hour of the morning by a firm hammering at the door. In reality, it was past noon but for the inhabitants of Kingsport Lighthouse most of whom had passed out in the night it was still too early.

Hancock got to the door first, rubbing his eyes blearily as they protested against the light. He opened the door, stared for a moment and slammed it shut. He returned to his spot on one of the couches, muttering something about still being high.

The knocking continued.

Eventually, Valentine, the only one of them still standing, picked his way over the many bodies that littered the floor and answered it, he just about managed to swallow his chuckle as he called into the room, "someone call for a priest?"

 

* * *

 

 

Nora had said it was Christmas Eve. The day before Christmas, presumably the reason she was running around like a lunatic making sure everything was ready. She'd even built up a makeshift shack or two for guests, Kingsport had never hosted all of her friends at the same time before, not to mention Shaun. He'd never been so far from Sanctuary, but Garvey and Codsworth were with him, Nora told herself for the millionth time, he would be perfectly safe.

Danse watched her work, feeling as detached as ever, but still able to admire the work Nora was putting in to make the place feel festive. Greenery hung everywhere decorated with balls of coloured glass. Soft lights twinkled and under her breath, Nora was singing songs Danse had never heard before. They were clearly pre-war, nobody who had lived through a nuclear winter would wish for snow so lyrically.

There was an almost constant stream of arrivals to the lighthouse and seeing the joy with which Nora and Shaun greeted each other was particularly touching. For a moment Danse felt a pang of regret and shame that he hadn't involved himself in these preparations, despite Nora's best efforts to draw him in. Then it occurred to him that if there was something he had learned from Nora and her friends, it was that it was never too late to start. Nora's face, when she entered the room to find Danse hanging string lights over a door, proved to him he had made the right decision.

 

* * *

 

 

It was late, late enough that many of Nora's friends had retired, but Nora had beckoned Danse outside, handing him his laser rifle when he joined her.   
"Come with me?" she had asked and it had been a question, a plea, not a command. Despite the lateness of the house, his lack of idea of where they were going or what they were doing, he nodded and followed her.

 

* * *

 

They walked in silence. Both of them held their guns ready, just in case, but the fact that Nora hadn't allowed him to suit up and that she was just wearing a casual t-shirt suggested she didn't expect them to run into difficulty.

They had only gone a short distance up the road, up to Salem and now Danse could see others making their way along the same route. Minutement and settlers mostly, plus one guy who looked like a raider but kept his weapons to himself, all heading into Salem. They rounded a corner and Danse saw that everyone was entering the church there. Nora had stopped, looking up at Danse, biting her lip in the way she did when she was nervous.

"It's not the Brotherhood," she blurted out, "and I know that...but you're my family...we're your family and I thought you might enjoy..." she waved her hand towards the church, trailing off while Danse continued to stare at her uncomprehending. She sighed, unable to find the words as ever, but he followed her into the church anyway.

 

* * *

 

 

It was unlike anything Danse had ever experienced and yet there was something comfortingly familiar about it all. The soft light of the candles, the only light source in the building even though there were generators outside. There was the smell of incense - Nora had called it - wafting through the place, the smoke catching in the candlelight and casting patterns into the shadows.

The priest - _where had she even found a priest?_  - spoke of things Danse knew nothing of, had never even thought of. There had only ever been the Brotherhood before now, what need had he ever had for God? But there was something calming in his words, something intrinsically stable in his retelling of a story that had survived the bombs and two thousand years of history before it, something that connected Danse with the woman beside him, who had crawled out of a vault, displaced in time.

The priest spoke of love, a love that Danse couldn't relate to and so he allowed his eyes to wander. Beside him, Nora was casting glances over at him, ensuring that he was alright, outside Garvey and Dogmeat walked quietly back and fore, just to ensure everyone inside the chapel had their moment. Several rows in front of them, Cait crossed herself and knelt at the altar rail, Danse didn't participate but when Minutemen he had never met before wished him the peace of the season and he saw again Nora's concern, always these days with concern, he started to relate after all.

 

* * *

 

 

It wasn't the Brotherhood.

It was a secretive saboteur insisting he could go for a dare if he wanted to, it was an insubordinate sniper shouting back that there was no way. It was a woman who hadn't always been that woman wondering aloud in that distinctive accent of hers why you would want to hang harmful flora over a doorway to encourage affection. It was an abomination and a synth, who despite his open hostility to them both from day one had been understanding, sympathetic even of his situation and had looked out for him since. It was the soldier he had mocked for not being a soldier at all who had ensured he'd had his peace in the church and anywhere else he had sought it. It was the mouthy reporter and the equally mouthy cage fighter drinking themselves under the table while the robot butler fretted about drinking hard liquor from tumblers.

It was the sole survivor who had united them all, currently teaching her boy, who was as human as Danse was, how to drive the remote controlled car she had fixed up for him. She felt Danse's eyes upon her and smiled, mouthing to him, ' _Merry Christmas_.'

It was not the Brotherhood.

But it was his family.


End file.
